Western Lowland Gorilla

The western lowland gorilla, also known as Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the western gorilla. It’s the smallest species of the four sub gorilla species. This is the common gorilla species you will find in a zoo. Western lowland gorillas inhabit the primary, secondary, montane and lowland swamps in Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, and Angola. An adult male gorilla is 1.5-1.8 meters tall weighing about 140-270 kilograms.

Western lowland gorillas have large hands with nails on each digit, short muzzles, large nostrils, largemouth and ears, a prominent brow ridge and large muscles in the jaw region. Western low land gorillas frequently stand upright and move quadrupedally with hands curled and knuckles touching the ground.

Western lowland gorillas have a record of having the only albino gorilla. It was called Snowflake. The gorilla was born in Equatorial Guinea and transferred to a zoo in Barcelona in 1966. Western lowland gorillas can travel within a home range of 8-45 kilometers, traveling for about 3-5 kilometers per day.

Western lowland gorillas feed on shoots, leaves, roots, wild celery, pulp, and tree bark. Adult gorillas can eat about 18 kilograms of vegetation per day. Gorillas have adopted the use of tools and sticks to measure the depth of water. They also use branches for collecting termites and ants in holes. This shows how intelligent they are.

The skin of a western lowland gorilla is covered with greyish brown fur except for the face, ears, hands, and feet. The silverbacks develop grey hair on their backs as they mature and command all the group activities daily.

Gorillas have been known as aggressive animals but they are gentle. They live in groups of 5-30 individuals, dominated by silverbacks who dictate all the groups’ daily activities. Birth rates of gorillas are very low. Female gorillas mature sexually at the age of 8-12 years.